Wan Zack still bubble wrapped for Malaysia Cup

Wan Zack Haikal Wan Noor has yet to fully recover from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury sustained last year. - Filepic

PETALING JAYA: Kelantan supporters will have to wait a little while longer to see their prized winger Wan Zack Haikal Wan Noor in action.

The 23-year-old has yet to fully recover from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury sustained during a training session with his former club FC Ryukyu, a J-League 3 side, last year.

And Red Warriors head coach George Boateng does not want to rush Wan Zack into action in the Malaysia Cup, which begins on Wednesday.

“He is making good progress with his recovery. As he is part of our long-term plan, we don’t want to take any risk by rushing his return,” said the former Dutch international.

Kelantan, last year’s Malaysia Cup finalists, will start their Group C campaign against Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).

Boateng has only set a quarter-final target for his team.

“We are in a transitional period after losing 16 players last season. I’m a realist so I have set a lower target based on our current strength. We are not the team we were a few years back,” said Boateng.

“However, this doesn’t mean that I don’t have faith in my players. We will go out and try to win every match we play,” he added.